Archive for the ‘Movie Review’ Category
Movie Review: Soul Surfer
By Shawn Anderson | April 19th, 2011
Soul Surfer is the inspiring true story of Bethany Hamilton, who overcame all odds and became a pro surfer after losing an arm in a shark attack.
Raised by surfer parents, Bethany, superbly acted in the film by AnnaSophia Robb, is a rising star who wins her first surf competition at the young age of nine. While surfing at age thirteen, Bethany is attacked by a shark and loses her left arm. As a result, Bethany loses 60 percent of her blood and undergoes emergency surgery.
Directed by Sean McNamara, the film depicts Bethany’s family as devoted Christians who live on the island of Kauai. After the attack, Bethany’s faith is tested. She asks her youth minister, Sarah (Carrie Underwood), “How can this be God’s plan for me?”, and Sarah responds, “I don’t know why terrible things happen to us, but I have to believe something good is going to come out of this.”
At the last minute, Bethany joins her youth group on a mission trip to Thailand to help victims of a tsunami. There, she helps a small boy overcome his fear of the ocean. The act of helping someone else let go of his inhibitions metaphorically helps Bethany lose her own fears and move forward with her own life.
Elegantly photographed by John R. Leonetti, Soul Surfer is a film illustrated with magnificent imagery. Ocean waves can be calming and beautiful, but they can also represent circumstances that envelop us in pain and doubts. In the storms of life we can either reject God or we can rely on his power to rescue us from drowning.
In a recent interview, Bethany said, “I would never take my arm back in a second”, and she quoted Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This Scripture was also prominently placed in the film.
Bethany’s faith not only saved her, but it made her a better person. This is a lesson and example for all of us.
~Shawn Anderson
Movie Review: The Adjustment Bureau
By Shawn Anderson | March 28th, 2011
What would you do if you discovered that your life was already planned out for you? The Adjustment Bureau centers on the life of David Norris, rising political star, who falls for a woman, Elise, after a chance encounter. The inciting incident occurs when David is told that he cannot see her again by mysterious men in fedoras; and, if he does, his mind will be erased. These men, called The Adjustment Bureau, are to ensure that David does not deviate from his preplanned life. If he does, they make minor “adjustments” to set his life back on course.
The problem is that David doesn’t like this explanation…
MORE »Movie Review: 127 Hours
By Shawn Anderson | November 30th, 2010
127 Hours is a true-life account of Aron Ralston, convincingly played by James Franco, a hiker who ended up amputating his own arm after it was trapped under a boulder.
The film opens with Aron on his way to a hike in the canyons of Utah. All is well until he slips inside a crevasse and a huge boulder lands on his right arm, pinning him against the wall of the canyon. Try as he might, Aron is unable to budge his arm or the rock. Utterly trapped with seemingly no way out, he rations his limited food and water supply and tries every conceivable means of escape. Aron’s emotions run the gamut, leading to the inevitable, graphic amputation of his arm.
But 127 Hours is not simply a story of…
MORE »Movie Review: The Book Of Eli
By Shawn Anderson | September 8th, 2010
Set in a bleak future reminiscent of The Road Warrior saga, The Book of Eli follows one man’s adventurous and mysterious journey across America. The story begins without explaining anything—why the world is desolate, where the man is going, or the purpose of the book he carries with him. Over the course of the film, the viewer is spoon-fed details of the backstory: the earth was struck by a gigantic meteor which killed or crippled most of earth’s humans, triggered hot, arid weather conditions, and shortened water supplies. In the thirty years since the catastrophe, Eli, the protagonist, has been travelling with a book, revealed to be the last known copy of the Bible. His divine mission is to take the book and “go west”.
Along the way, Eli stumbles across a small…
Movie Review: Inception
By Shawn Anderson | September 8th, 2010
Inception is a creative film that is visually stunning and spiritually stimulating. Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is a man who infiltrates the minds of powerful individuals to extract their secret ideas. He does this by entering their dreams. In the film, Cobb and his team are hired to do something completely different: introduce an idea into someone’s mind so that it ultimately results in action. This word for this is inception.
To accomplish the task of inception, Cobb leads his team into increasingly deeper dream levels. Eventually, he must risk losing his own sanity and grip on reality by entering a perilous dream state known as “limbo.”
Inception has many spiritual applications. It can be argued that the film is a metaphor for our spiritual lives because it addresses existential questions such as, “What is most important to me?” and “What is real?” Like characters in the film, we may discover the answers to these questions and wake up to reality, or we may wander aimlessly in limbo.
At each dream level, the spiritual metaphors become increasingly…
MORE »Movie Review: The Imposter
By Sarah Gibson | April 7th, 2010
I was excited after viewing the trailer for Kevin Max’s, formerly of DC Talk, big screen debut in The Imposter. Max plays a self-absorbed Christian rock star with an addiction to Oxycotton and a tendency to get drunk on alcohol as well as fame.
I will openly admit I am not a fan of “Christian films.” I often find them to be an unrealistic depiction of real life coupled with a poor production quality. While The Imposter didn’t change my thoughts, it did offer me a glimpse of the real world. I applaud writer, director Daniel Millican for daring to omit the cliché “come to Jesus” moment. I think we can all admit that life doesn’t always end at the altar with are protagonist in tears over his sinful life.
At the same time, I am disappointed by the lack of quality. There is no reason why Christian films should lack the basic rules given in How to Make a Feature Film 101. Millican followed the path of disaster that looms every filmmaker, trying to do everything himself. Not only did he write and direct the film, but he edited it as well. This is one place where the story…
MORE »Tooth And Nail Signs Queens Club
By Paul Gibson | September 18th, 2009
Lineup Change For The Becoming
By Paul Gibson | May 13th, 2009
Below is a message put up on The Becoming’s myspace page, from Caleb (lead vocalist).
MORE »Movie Review: Coraline
By Paul Gibson | April 1st, 2009
I have admit, as the lights darkened in the theater and I held the popcorn bowl next to me two thoughts ran through my head: One: I have waited so long for this movie, it better be good and exciting, Two: I hope I haven’t built this movie up so much and am about to be disappointed.
